Chapter 1

At eight o’clock in the evening, the bodyguards assembled as instructed and headed by car to the port.

Nie Jun, dressed in a black T-shirt and a windbreaker, sat in the back of a business van with the others.

Ahead of them was a completely black Mercedes. It stopped and started intermittently, and the van followed, accelerating and slowing accordingly. Nie Jun watched the brake lights flash occasionally all the way to the port.

The bodyguards quickly got out of the van and surrounded the now-parked Mercedes. After a moment, the car door opened. The captain of the bodyguards and the team leader assigned to tonight’s mission stood on either side of the door.

Seconds later, polished, immaculate leather shoes stepped firmly onto the ground, followed by long legs clad in perfectly tailored suit trousers and a black dress shirt.

Kong Wenyu got out, glanced at his watch, and as he lowered his hand, the neat hem of his shirt revealed diamond-studded black swan cufflinks that gleamed under the light.

He was very young, not the lively, cheerful type—calm, with a faint trace of irritation always in his expression.

The sea breeze blew with no regard for strength, sweeping the strands of hair by his ear across his cheek, adding to that impression of impatience.

Kong Wenyu paused briefly, then walked toward the cruise ship docked at the pier. His secretary followed beside him, carrying a suitcase, while the rest of the entourage surrounded him as they moved forward.

Once they boarded, the cruise ship immediately set sail. Soon it left the shore, heading toward the open sea. In the distance, massive wind turbines gradually shrank to thin white lines glowing faintly in the dark night.

Inside the cabin, Kong Wenyu sat at a long table. The secretary placed the suitcase in front of him.

Their business partner for the evening was already waiting inside. Ao Yongwang sat on the other side of the table, one foot hooked on a crossbar beneath it. He glanced at the suitcase, then shifted his gaze to Kong Wenyu’s face.
“Been feeling well lately?”

Kong Wenyu’s complexion was pale, almost bloodless, giving him a weak appearance.

Ao Yongwang studied him for a moment, the corner of his lips curling as he answered his own question.
“Doesn’t look like it.”

Kong Wenyu looked across the table at him. One hand rested lightly on the suitcase, his long, slender fingers tapping it softly.
“The money?”

Ao Yongwang chuckled and waved his hand. Immediately, the bodyguards behind him brought forward two pitch-black cases, placing them on the table, one on each side.

Kong Wenyu gestured for them to be opened. His secretary stepped forward, but Ao Yongwang stopped him with a raised hand.
“Too many people. Not a good idea to open it here.”

Leaning an arm casually on the table, Ao Yongwang glanced around.
“Clear the room?”

Kong Wenyu raised his hand in a small motion. The bodyguards behind him obeyed, exiting the cabin one by one through the nearest door.

Nie Jun followed the group of bodyguards out. As he glanced up briefly, he caught only a glimpse of Kong Wenyu’s pale, sharp jawline and the commanding arch of his brows.

At the same time, the bodyguards behind Ao Yongwang left through the opposite door, leaving only the two secretaries behind.

Nie Jun and the team leader were the last to exit. The leader kept his eyes on the suitcase on the long table, while Nie Jun cast one last look at Kong Wenyu’s back before pulling the door nearly shut.

Outside, the wind was picking up, roughening the previously calm surface of the sea into rippling waves.

Nie Jun stood by the doorway, staring at the wind turbines on the distant shore, lost in thought.

All around him came the sounds of waves slapping the hull and the wind whistling sharply as it swept over every corner of the ship.

He zipped his windbreaker up to the top, then noticed the bodyguard captain finishing a quick patrol around the deck and walking toward him.

“No major issues,” the captain murmured when he was close enough. “In a bit, they’ll start arguing. Secretary Ling will smash the light, and in the chaos, toss the suitcase overboard. You’re to dive in and retrieve it. There’s a bonus in it for you.”

Nie Jun’s gaze paused. He turned to look at him.

The captain said, “It’s part of the plan. The boss can’t stand the Ao family and wants to raise the price. Tonight’s deal definitely won’t go through. Whoever recovers the case gets the bonus.”

Nie Jun’s fingers curled slightly at his side. “What about Mr. Kong?”

The captain clearly hadn’t expected him to ask that. After giving him a quick glance, he replied, “There’s an escape route on the east side of the cabin. In a moment, I’ll go in to hold off their people. Secretary Ling will take him that way. A yacht is already prepared, and there will be someone waiting on board.”

Nie Jun glanced toward the east side. Ao Yongwang’s bodyguards were spread out in that area, their eyes fixed warily on the cabin.

The captain patted him on the shoulder and lowered his voice. “Don’t forget to retrieve the case.”

Nie Jun paused, then nodded once.

Just then, a heavy thud came from inside. As expected, the fight had started.

Nie Jun peered through the crack in the door, seeing only shifting shadows in the light—nothing clear.

Without hesitation, he pulled up the windbreaker’s collar and fastened the metal clasp with a soft click, then started toward the escape passage on the east side.

Inside the cabin, the shouting had begun. In the spacious, brightly lit lounge, Ao Yongwang slammed a hand on the table, his composure gone.
“We agreed to round it down before, and now you tell me you won’t let me short a single cent? Where the hell am I supposed to find another two million dollars?!”

Kong Wenyu’s name and appearance might make people assume he was gentle or accommodating, but in reality, he was not.

“You can transfer it,” he said coldly.

“Trans—” Ao Yongwang swallowed the curse that almost followed, studied him for a few seconds, then stared at his pale jawline. Leaning forward with both hands on the table, he said, “Add me as a friend, and I’ll transfer it to you.”

Kong Wenyu’s gaze was the exact opposite—completely uninterested. “Secretary.”

Secretary Ling immediately stepped forward without a word, opened a payment app, and placed the QR code on the table.

Ao Yongwang ignored the phone, his eyes still fixed on Kong Wenyu. “It’s just two million. Consider it the price for a single smile.”

Kong Wenyu let out a soft sigh, leaned back in his chair without moving otherwise, and lightly pressed the corner of the silver-gray suitcase.
“Sexual harassment.”

Then he smiled faintly, almost lazily.
“In that case, two million won’t be enough.”

Ao Yongwang stared as Kong Wenyu stood up, blurting, “What?”

After rising, Kong Wenyu tapped his fingers once on the table. The secretary stepped forward, retrieved the phone, and picked up the suitcase.

Ao Yongwang seemed to have anticipated this reaction; he didn’t look surprised. His gaze shifted slightly. “What do you mean by this?”

Kong Wenyu glanced at him but said nothing.

It took Ao Yongwang several seconds to realize—
“Kong Wenyu, are you backing out of the deal?!”

Kong Wenyu’s eyes shimmered with a depth that outmatched even the sea outside. His expression seemed to say: And what if I am?

Secretary Ling, holding the case, stood off to the side. In the shadows, his hand was already reaching for the targeting device strapped at his lower back.

Ao Yongwang leaned forward, his tone sharp. “You’re just a middleman bridging the deal. You should be glad to make a profit at all, and now you’re trying to hike the price?!”

Kong Wenyu’s peripheral vision flicked toward his secretary.

“Two million, fine,” Ao Yongwang switched tactics, softening his tone. “I’ll transfer it when we get back—”

At that moment, the secretary raised his hand toward the central ceiling light.
Bang! A loud explosion shattered the lamp overhead. Razor-sharp fragments rained down in every direction.

In the same instant, Secretary Ling grabbed the suitcase, rushed to the side window, and hurled it out into the darkness!

Simultaneously, the bodyguard captain Hai Ming burst through the door, shielding Kong Wenyu in the pitch-black chaos.

The cabin erupted into pandemonium—explosions, ringing ears, and Ao Yongwang’s furious curses:
“Damn it, my face!”

Kong Wenyu didn’t stop moving. With Hai Ming protecting him, he had already reached the exit to the escape corridor.

In the chaos, Ao Yongwang roared orders in anger. “Catch him, now!”

Kong Wenyu ignored the shouting, shoved open the door to the passage. At the same moment, Ao Yongwang’s security team arrived. Hai Ming, guarding Kong Wenyu’s back, immediately turned to block their path.

As the two sides clashed, the already chaotic scene descended further into disorder. People stationed outside stormed in. The ship rocked violently; Kong Wenyu steadied himself against the cabin wall, regained his balance, and continued forward.

But before reaching the exit, he ran straight into a group of Ao Yongwang’s bodyguards rushing in.

Fortunately, the pitch-black passage hid him from view. Kong Wenyu froze mid-step, about to retreat, when someone suddenly grabbed his arm and yanked him into a narrow storage room off the side of the corridor.

The person holding him was tall. In the darkness, his features were impossible to see. Only a low “shhh” broke the silence. Hidden eyes glinted faintly in the shadows as a deep voice whispered:
“Don’t make a sound.”

Rustling footsteps and faint curses filtered in from outside. Nie Jun tilted his head to listen for a moment, then opened the door and stepped out first. He extended his hand back into the room.

Kong Wenyu grasped his hand and followed him out, moving along the passageway.

Neither of them spoke along the way. When they finally stepped outside, under the light of the moon, Kong Wenyu turned his head to look at him.

The other man’s windbreaker was zipped all the way to the top. His head was slightly lowered, his chin tucked inside the collar.

The brim of his black cap was pulled so low that it cast a heavy shadow over the upper half of his face, hiding his eyes. He looked like a large predator lurking in the underbrush—a lion, or a leopard.

Kong Wenyu could only see the straight bridge of his nose.

That assessing gaze made Nie Jun break into a sudden, inexplicable sweat. His fingers rubbed against each other unconsciously, and he turned his face away.
“Hold on to the ladder. Be careful when you climb down.”

He must have been a little nervous, but not rushed. His tone carried no sense of urgency.

The wind on the deck was strong, whipping hair wildly and snapping clothes like flags.

Kong Wenyu withdrew his gaze, looking instead at the red-and-white yacht below.
“What’s your name?”

Nie Jun’s fingers twitched. He had the sudden impulse to brush the stray hair off Kong Wenyu’s forehead and tuck it behind his ear. Realizing how inappropriate that thought was, he lowered his hand back to his side.

“Not important,” he said. “Let’s go.”

The unexpected answer made Kong Wenyu glance at him. The gaze he had just shifted away settled back on him once again.

He reached into his pocket, intending to pull out a business card, then belatedly remembered that such things were always kept by his secretary.

Kong Wenyu looked out into the distance. The sea shimmered under the silver moonlight, the yacht bobbing gently with the waves.

The surface of the water had already returned to calm. The suitcase must have been retrieved by now. He wondered where his secretary had gone.

“Do you have a pen?”

“What?” Nie Jun asked instinctively.

Kong Wenyu looked at him for a few seconds, then turned his head. “Nothing.”

Nie Jun misunderstood what he meant. He leaned around the corner to check the situation and quickly came back.
“They’ve already been rescued—your secretary, and the suitcase. In a moment, the others will notice you’re gone and start searching the ship.”

This time, his tone urged action:
“We need to move.”

Prompted by his urging, Kong Wenyu stepped onto the ladder. The people on the deck below had been waiting for some time; they quickly reached up to steady him, put a life jacket on him, and secured the safety straps.

Nie Jun watched him. A gust of wind nearly blew his cap away, but he pressed it down and pulled it even lower than before.